Tag Archives: weight loss

Vegan Chocolate Shakeology Review

Have you tried it yet? The long-awaited Vegan Chocolate Shakeology is finally here and it is making a huge splash! I had the great fortune of getting a sneak preview taste test before the official release and was thrilled with what I tasted. Of course, my reviews are always more thorough and completely sugar-free, so I’ve waited until I’ve spent more time with it to give you my full review. You can count on always getting my 100% honest feedback!

So what’s the big deal? And, why vegan? What is the protein source and what else is in it?

Vegan Shakeology Superfoods and Protein Sources

Beachbody has put a lot of thought and time into this new Shakeology formula and it shows! There are over 70 whole foods in the bag, but I want to highlight the new ones:

Coconut Nectar – Provides natural sweetness, delivers amino acids, vitamins and mineralsLuo Han Guo – Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, aids digestionHimalayan Salt – Contains 70 trace minerals, delivers essential electrolytesMoringa – Five times the amount of vitamin C as oranges, more vitamin A than carrots and tomatoes, more chlorophyll than chlorellaKonjac – Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, aids digestion, absorbs water resulting in the body feeling fuller

And the protein sources? They are 100% plant-based! Bio-fermented sprouted brown rice protein and pea protein are the main protein sources. These two together create a balanced protein. Other protein sources within Vegan Chocolate Shakeology include Sacha Inchi, Chia, Flax, Quinoa, and Amaranth. WOW! Your total protein per serving is 16g with just the product alone. These vegan protein sources are much easier for the body to digest, provide significant nutritional benefits that whey does not, and they open the door for dairy-intolerant people and vegans to enjoy Shakeology.

How does Chocolate Vegan Shakeology Taste?

As you’ve likely seen in my previous reviews of other Shakeology formulations, I’m super picky about both taste and texture. I’m VERY happy to report that I am really enjoying this new formulation! While not quite as smooth as the non-vegan whey protein due to the nature of the vegan protein sources, it isn’t so present as to bother me. The flavor, in particular the level of sweetness, is what struck me most. I really didn’t feel that the non-vegan formula was sweet until comparing them side by side. The new vegan formulation is a richer, deeper chocolate that has a deep earthy flavor. They are quite different. We have gone through two bags at our house now, and have found a fun way to make the switch from non-vegan to vegan. Have a look to see my initial taste test review and what we’re doing with it:

So, what are you waiting for you? Shakeology offers a Bottom-of the-Bag guarantee; you can use it for 30 days and if you’re not happy, return the empty bag for a refund!

To read more about Beachbody workouts to go along with your Shakeology, read my last blog post.

Post Birthday P90X Back & Biceps/Ab Ripper X

We had the BEST time on my birthday at our first Tough Mudder! As much as I love doing P90X, the Mudder trumped it. Sorry, Tony!

So, are you looking for a really great, classic moves, back and biceps workout? If so, this workout, one of the main discs in the P90X series, is the one for you! Alternating between back and biceps moves, it will leave your arms and back a floppy puddle of mush at the end.

Is P90X Back & Biceps appropriate for women?

I asked myself this very same question when I started, especially the first time when I couldn’t do a more than a few pull-ups without a chair. And then I asked myself again the next day when my arms hurt when driving the car! Ha! Anyway, with patience and practice, I’ve gotten stronger and so can you. Unless you’re taking steroids or something, you will not bulk up into He-Man and you will feel so accomplished and proud to see those guns popping in a very feminine way. Also, it will strengthen your back and really give beautiful balance to your entire body. Don’t be afraid to do this work! Many women shy away from P90X in favor of working on just the lower body and abs. Guess what? A great upper body accentuates everything you’ve got going on!

Another fantastic option for learning proper pull-up form is the pull-up assist band. Unlike a chair, this keeps your body aligned properly, is safer, and allows you to adjust how much of your own weight you are lifting. Very cool! I got one recently and can’t wait to play with it more. While I’m able to bust out a bunch of pull-ups now without assistance (thank you P90X!), I think this tool will help accelerate my progress even more. You can connect, one, two, or three of the red bands you see here, adjusting the tension.

P90X Ab Ripper X

Get familiar with this one because you’ll be doing it a lot in P90X! It is short, to the point, and oh so effective. I LOVE core workouts, so this one is really fun for me. If you are doing this part of P90X on a hard floor, I HIGHLY recommend a super soft mat. In a pinch, grab a bathmat, towels, anything soft and put it on your yoga mat. I use a really great mat from OPTP.com, but only for floorwork. It is far too soft for the P90X standing work and will get torn up from your shoes.